


Silent Memories

by Tarlan



Series: Silent World [7]
Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-11-19
Updated: 2002-11-19
Packaged: 2017-10-20 13:29:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/213275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Collector</p>
            </blockquote>





	Silent Memories

_  
A silence fell about the room  
With harsh and heavy calm  
The lovers and the friends all felt the same  
It kept us warm  
We raised our glass and drank to times we'd had  
But see no more  
The pictures of the past would haunt us still  
And there remain.  
 **Death in the Afternoon**_ by **Ultravox**

 

Vin leaned back against the wall in the Clarion News office, crossing his arms in anger as he heard the older lady relate her run-in with Guy Royal. He had to admit the lady had courage in standing up to this man and his hired hands, and he knew she ought to feel no shame at having been beaten. As he listened, he realized she was a private individual who had not wanted to advertise her problems and it was only by chance that Chris had learned of her ordeal. He just happened to walk in when Nettie Wells was talking to Mary Travis. Mrs. Travis had blurted out most of Nettie's story to Chris before he had set more than three steps inside, no doubt to the older lady's startlement, but Chris had sent JD to find Vin soon after.

Eventually, Vin had to ask.

"Why's he need a little parcel like yours?"

She shook her head, obviously as confused as the rest of them. From the corner of his eye he watched as Chris stared at a map of the territory hanging on the wall. His frown deepened when Chris carefully removed the map and placed it on a nearby table, finger pointing to an area just Northeast of the town.

"Is this your place?"

Vin watched as Nettie gave confirmation and then indicated the small ranches of others who had been driven off their land by Royal; a theory dawning on him that he did not like.

"All in a line."

Vin looked across and saw that Chris had the same thought, the bright green eyes catching and holding his.

"Must be where it's gonna come when it comes."

"When what comes, Mr. Larabee?"

Vin could only nod his head in agreement as Chris answered Nettie's question. There had been talk of them extending the railroad down through the territory before turning it east to run parallel to the Mexican border and into Texas. It was not a thought that thrilled him as, with the railroad, would come more people, and more so-called civilization. He had been born in a small Texan town - a warm and friendly place - about three years before the railroad had passed through. There had been benefits including increased prosperity for the local storekeepers but the railroad also brought an influx of migrants, people seeking a new life on the frontier, and bringing death with them. Vin couldn't remember much about his mother, but he recalled that she had been a rancher's daughter. She had been tough like Nettie, but she had succumbed to one of the many fevers brought along the railroad tracks by the travelers. They called it Putrid Fever though Vin suspected Nathan had a proper name for it.

"Vin?"

Vin realized that the meeting was over and, even though Chris had proposed no course of action, one look into his lover's face told him that plans were forming. Vin had a very good idea what Chris would have in mind so he hung back as Chris stalked out of the door and then he approached the older lady, more than a little concerned for her safety.

"You oughtn't stay at your ranch alone, Ma'am."

"I'm putting up at the hotel."

"I reckon that's a good idea. Why don't I see you over there?"

He offered her his arm and listened quietly as she spoke of her life out here on the frontier. He could tell from her tone of voice that she had no regrets for the hard life she had lived and Vin marveled anew at her courage. He waited patiently as she rented a room for her and her niece, Casey, and then he drew her aside once more. From the little he had overheard, Chris was proposing to ride on out to the Royal and take back Nettie's property, by force if necessary. There was no way either of them would allow Nettie to accompany them so it made sense to get a good description of each item Guy Royal had stolen.

By the time Vin had saddled up he knew there was a hitch as there was no sign of Chris. When Chris appeared a few minutes later leading his horse, Vin knew from the tight set of Chris's mouth that his instincts had been right.

"Judge wants me to pick up some papers he sent by stagecoach to the sheriff at Eagle Bend."

"Can't the sheriff send a man with them? Or maybe we can send JD?"

"Nope. Judge told the sheriff to release them only to me."

"Damn." Vin looked up at the sky, quickly gaging the time of day. "If you leave now you'd be back before nightfall."

"Leave Ezra to take care of the town. He ought to be up by now."

Vin nodded and watched as Chris mounted up.

"Watch your back, Cowboy."

"You too, Vin."

Vin was treated to a small, secret smile before Chris turned and rode away, and he shook his head in wonder. That look had told him that Chris would be pushing hard to ensure he got back to town tonight, and Vin licked his lips in anticipation of spending a little fun time alone with his lover. He glanced sideways as Nathan led his horse up to meet Vin.

"Where's he going?"

"Errand for the Judge. Looks like it's just you, me, Josiah, Buck and JD."

Nathan sighed deeply. "No Ezra?"

"He can stay and look after the town." Vin gave Nathan an evil grin. "Maybe you can go raise him from his pit."

Vin laughed as Nathan's eyes gleamed with pleasure at that thought, knowing how much both men liked to torment each other with their opposing views on life. Fifteen minutes later they were all ready to ride with a disgruntled Ezra dropping into a chair outside the sheriff's office.

As they started out of town Vin thought he might just have lost another of their number as Josiah made a sudden detour towards the saloon.

"Whoa. Hold on, boys. What's he doing?" He waited patiently until Nathan and Josiah rejoined their party. "You ready now?" Vin shook his head in amusement as Josiah made it known that he had an important date in the town this Saturday and then, finally, they were on their way to retrieve Nettie's property.

****

Chris settled back into his bed, slipping the gun back into its holster as he recognized the dark shape that approached so stealthily. The figure moved across the room, a sudden flare preceding the warm, orange glow of the lamp. Although Vin had sharp eyesight that could discern a potential threat in near darkness, Chris knew he preferred to make love with a little light.

"Wanna see what I'm holding", he had once said, and Chris could understand that. He loved to gaze at Vin's exposed flesh, enjoying the way muscle would ripple as Vin moved inside him, enthralled by the desire-filled face while he basked in the heat glowing from those deep blue eyes.

Chris grinned as Vin stripped out of his clothes, leaving them in a heap by the door, before slipping into the bed next to him. He gave a low moan as the slightly smaller body moved to cover his own, warm lips meeting his, hot tongue insistent as it pushed between his parted lips to possess him fully. Vin pulled back, lips trailing over Chris's face before sharp teeth latched onto an ear lobe, nibbling gently. He shivered as Vin's warm breath blew softly in his ear, grinning in pleasure when he heard the low whisper.

"Missed you, Cowboy."

"Heard from Buck you did all right without me." He moaned again as Vin's tongue delved into the shell of his ear and then he swallowed hard. "Like to hear it from you though."

Vin pulled back, curled lips slightly parted, white teeth and lust-filled eyes flashing in the low lamplight.

"How about I show you, Cowboy."

"Show me?" He gasped as the single blanket was cast aside, body reacting to the warm hand that trailed from shoulder to thigh.

"Need a little preparation first."

Vin leaned over and grabbed the small tin Chris had placed on the bedside cabinet earlier having made it known that he wanted Vin's company tonight. He heard the top being removed and then the sound of the tin being dropped back onto the cabinet. Chris figured Vin wanted to do the taking tonight so he started to flip onto his stomach but that warm hand stopped him.

"Need you on your back, Cowboy. Now, bend your legs."

"Oh yeah." Chris sighed as a finger pressed against the tight entrance to his body, accepting the invasion with unrestrained pleasure. He writhed as the finger sank knuckle-deep inside, feeling it curling and rubbing against soft walls of hidden muscle. "More. More."

Vin laughed softly and he pulled out only long enough to slide two fingers inside. One of those fingers brushed against that special place sending licks of fire through Chris's body and Chris clamped down hard on those fingers, strong muscles trying to hold Vin's fingers inside. He cried out in frustration when Vin pulled away, watching in confusion when Vin pressed those same fingers deep inside his own body. Chris swallowed hard, enthralled by the sight of his lover impaled on his own fingers, writhing to a rhythm of his own making. Chris's hand snaked out to grasp his shaft, pleasuring himself as Vin writhed above him but then Vin noticed and slapped his hand away.

"This is just preparation."

"Damn it, Vin. Quit teasing." He reached for Vin's hard flesh and his hand was slapped away again. "Figure we're prepared enough. To hell with the story."

Vin's familiar low, throaty chuckle fanned the flames of desire already burning through his body and Chris swallowed hard again, realizing Vin had found a new game to tease him with. However, he'd yet to be disappointed with one of Vin's silent games so he forced himself back under control. Vin leaned forward, warm breath against his ear once more as he whispered softly.

"Here's how it goes."

He sat upright, straddling Chris's hips, strong fingers reaching between them to grasp Chris's hard shaft, a callused thumb smearing the precome over the large head. Vin guided Chris into his body, slowly lowering himself until Chris could feel the smooth cheeks of Vin's ass against his groin.

"First came some riding."

Vin raised himself up, corded thigh muscles rippling, internal muscles clenching hard around Chris's aching flesh. He dropped back down, forcing a groan of satisfaction from Chris as strong sensations slowly built higher, setting his senses aflame. Vin raised himself again, increasing the rhythm and Chris met the downward movement with an upward thrust of his hips, burying himself deeper inside the beautiful body. Chris raised his hands to the hairless, gently perspiring chest, fingers toying with the pink discs of Vin's nipples, watching them contract into tiny peaks. Vin's head was thrown back, exposing the long column of throat, curls of hair cascading back from his pleasure-filled face. Chris was so close he could feel his release building. His hands gripped the lean hips, wanting to control the rhythm but he gasped as Vin lifted right off of him.

The night air felt cold around his shaft and he cried out in frustration as Vin moved off the bed before settling back down between Chris's legs. Vin's voice was a little shaky, his breathing hard, eyes glittering, consumed with desire.

"When we got there, Royal tells us to get the hell off his property."

"I ain't saying that, Vin", Chris added with a leer, "You're welcome to... come... on my property." He let his hands trail over his own flesh, brushing across a nipple and gasping as the pleasurable sensation speared through him, wanting to make sure Vin understood exactly what he was referring to.

"That's nice. Now I'm gonna tell you how it is," Vin whispered, echoing his words spoken to Guy Royal earlier that day. "Soon as you give me what I... came for, I'll get the hell off your property."

"You can take what you want, Vin."

Vin pushed Chris's legs back, exposing the prepared hole. "So I entered his house."

Chris moaned as Vin's thick shaft breached the entrance to his body, burying himself to the root in a single thrust that brought both pleasure and pain. Chris could feel the wiry hairs of Vin's groin tickling his ass cheeks and he squirmed, wishing he could impale himself further on the hard flesh.

"Oh yeah... come on in. Take what you want."

Vin eased out then thrust back hard, hips snapping forward as he buried himself deep inside. Chris barely noticed the grin of pleasure lighting Vin's face, being too consumed by the incredible sensations radiating through his entire body as his muscles contracted around his lover's flesh. Vin pulled away again until only the head of his cock was still buried inside Chris.

"I'm a... kind of collector... he says."

Vin slammed back into Chris, and Chris cried out in sheer pleasure. Vin froze; face poised above Chris's, his hair forming a curtain around them as his hot seed pumped into Chris. A series of short hard thrusts followed, his blue eyes glazing over in sated passion as he emptied himself inside of Chris's body. Finally, he stopped thrusting, arms trembling as he fought to control the desire to fall into a boneless heap. The blue of his eyes was a mere corona around the enlarged pupil, and those eyes locked onto Chris.

"Your collecting days are over, I said."

Chris felt a heat in his chest that had nothing to do with the physical desire suffusing his entire body. He loved it when Vin became possessive.

"And he replied... this is my damn country, boy." Vin bent over, searing Chris with the passion of his kiss. "Mine too, I replied."

He pulled out of Chris's body, rocking back onto his heels. Chris watched, muscles taut with need, body aflame with desire, craving just a single touch to bring him to his own completion. He moaned as Vin pushed his legs down straight, seeing a teasing in the passion-sated eyes. Moving one leg at a time, Vin straddled Chris's hips once more. Chris groaned as Vin's hands smoothed along his burning flesh, crying out when each nipple was grasped and tweaked between thumb and forefinger, the double stimulus almost great enough to take him over the edge.

Vin let go, slowly rising and reaching back between them to grasp Chris's shaft firmly in his warm hand. Chris rocked his hips, hoping to encourage that hand to move, desperate to find his own release.

"Only one thing left to finish... riding back... having gotten what I came for."

"Yeah... ride me... to the finish, Vin."

Chris squeezed his eyes shut as Vin sank back down, impaling himself upon Chris, the tightness of the hot channel almost more than Chris could bear. His hips bucked up and he was lost, barely able to recognize the hoarse cry as his own as his senses overloaded, his seed filling the body poised above him.

Chris moaned in heartfelt satisfaction as, carefully, Vin drew off his softening shaft to settle down by Chris's side. An arm was thrown carelessly across his chest, the fingers stroking his still sensitive flesh. Chris lay in a silence broken only by the sound of their hard breathing, listening as Vin's heartbeat slowed, waiting until they had both regained their senses.

"Should have come with you."

Vin chuckled again, the sound sending renewed pleasure through Chris. "Oh, I reckon you came Royal."

"Damn tease."

Chris laughed softly, constantly amazed by this unique man lying by his side. The silence lengthened but it was an easy silence as Chris basked in the afterglow, limbs pleasantly languid, mind floating on a sea of tranquility. Those gentle fingers continued to caress his skin, and his own hand covered over them, fingers entwining. He heard a soft sigh and knew this moment of stillness was at an end.

"You know it ain't over yet."

"I know."

Chris had heard the sobering in Vin's voice and knew he had not been referring to their quiet interlude or the wonderful little game that preceded it.

"Said I'd go out to Nettie's tomorrow, help fix that corral fence Royal's men pulled down."

Chris nodded having half-expected this. He had seen the concern Vin showed for Nettie Wells and had figured she - or her predicament - had triggered some remembrance in his lover. He could sense that Vin was battling with this silent memory and hoped that a time would come when they could open up and share those haunting pictures of the past.

"I've gotta read through those papers the Judge sent but I'm sure Josiah and Nathan would give you a hand, if you ask them."

Chris felt Vin's slight nod as Vin moved his head onto Chris's shoulder, followed by a butterfly kiss upon his cheek before Vin drew away.

"Ought to go now. Be light in a few hours."

Vin made an attempt to rise but Chris reached out and pulled him back.

"Stay awhile longer."

Happiness radiated from Vin's face. They spent far too many days trying to snatch a moment in time, coming together fast and furious, unwilling to stay longer or take it slower through fear of discovery. However, every now and then the risk seemed worth taking, if only to give them a few precious hours held safely in each other's arms. Chris felt that tonight was one of those occasions, wanting to let Vin know by his actions that he was there for him when he was ready to break the silence of those memories, but Vin made no attempt to lie back down.

"Anything you say, Cowboy. I'll just get a cloth first. Clean us up."

Chris squirmed a little, feeling Vin's hot juices trickling between his ass cheeks.

"No. Don't mind. Kind of like the feel... knowing I still got a part of you in me."

Vin lay back and Chris moaned in appreciation when he felt Vin's gentle fingers tracing between his ass cheeks and sliding through the slippery evidence of spent passion. Soft lips found his, nipping and teasing, tongue licking across the kiss-swollen surface before delving inside. They kissed slowly, with more love than passion, not intending to arouse the flesh but inflame the soul. Eventually, they parted and Vin lay his head down on the pillow beside Chris, his breathing slowing as he fell into a light sleep, and Chris followed him soon after.

****

Vin scrubbed his shirt sleeve across his forehead and then he grabbed another nail from the small bucket, placing it between his teeth as he worked the broken piece of corral fence back into place. From the corner of his eye he saw Ezra spinning his hat on his boot before taking another sip of whiskey from that fancy silver flask.

Vin grinned around the nail still held between his lips. He knew why Ezra had chosen to accompany them out to Nettie Wells' place rather than spend the morning in his comfy bed as usual. Vin had left him looking after the town yesterday while he and the others rode out to Royal's but, instead, Ezra had got caught up in an early poker game and caused a small altercation in the saloon when one of his companions accused him of cheating. Ezra had managed to handle that particular moment with his usual aplomb - and the small derringer he kept up his sleeve - but the man's anger had spilled out onto the streets around the same time that Chris arrived back in town.

Vin almost laughed as he recalled Chris's retelling of what happened, his own fertile imagination filling in the pieces until he could almost visualize the whole scene in his head.

After a hard ride to Eagle Bend and back, Chris had been in no mood for dealing with drunken cowboys shooting holes in the clouds and store windows. He had barely restrained himself from just calling the man out but, instead, he had rammed his horse into the enraged drunk, knocking him flying. By the time the cowboy had got to his knees, Chris had him in an arm-lock and, soon after, was dragging him off to the jail. The ranting and raving drunk made it all too clear why he was causing a disturbance, and Chris had gone looking for Ezra immediately after throwing the cowboy into a cell and locking the door.

However, Ezra had been keeping a low profile since the altercation in the saloon, which meant steering well clear of an angry Chris Larabee. Vin sighed and shook his head. Ezra ought to know better than to think he could just avoid a confrontation with Chris; although he knew his lover's mood was far improved from the one he had in the saloon last night. One of the last things Chris said to him before Vin slipped from his lover's arms early this morning was a warning to give to Ezra should he see him.

"Tell him he can run but he can't hide.... and if he does run I'll shoot him."

The cowboy had still been sleeping off his drunken state when Vin, Josiah and Nathan left town earlier, leaving Buck and JD to guard the prisoner while Chris found somewhere quiet to sit where he could go over the papers the Judge had sent to him. Vin had not been surprised to find Ezra waiting for them just a little way outside town and he had related Chris's words faithfully, grinning at the dismay apparent in the clear green eyes.

Green eyes.

Vin had never noticed a man's eyes before taking up with Chris but now he found himself looking, and finding every set of eyes wanting in comparison to his lover's. Vin reckoned he must have memorized every minute fleck of gold within the predominantly green iris but there was more to those eyes than mere color. He reckoned he could read every moment of anguish and every instant of joy in those green depths, even when the night was so dark that he had to go by memory alone.

Ezra twirled his hat around his foot and sighed deeply, leaning back to gaze up at the almost cloudless sky and, in doing so, calling Vin's attention to him once more.

"Man never drowned himself in his own sweat, Ezra."

"A gentleman does not debase himself by engaging in menial labor."

Nettie's sigh of resignation seemed to accompany the exasperation coming from Nathan as the healer slotted another piece of broken fencing in place with Josiah's help. Josiah, on the other hand, looked as if he did not have a care in the world, giving self-satisfied sighs with each small task accomplished. Vin could only shake his head and wonder if it was true that Josiah had just spent his last few dollars on a suit and boiled shirt so he could go courting some lady. Small town gossip traveled faster than a striking rattler, but any more thoughts regarding Josiah fled at the sound of a fast approaching buggy. Vin grabbed the reins as Mrs. Travis pulled to a halt and then he listened intently as Mrs. Travis and Nettie conversed in worried tones. It seemed that Guy Royal had found a legal way of forcing Nettie from her land, and had told Mrs. Travis that he would be riding out to issue a foreclosure on the loan. The deeds were held by the bank as collateral for the loan that she had taken when seeking to buy this small parcel of land, but Royal had bought out that loan. If she couldn't pay him then he would take the deeds. Vin interrupted them.

"Ma'am? How much you owe?"

"A few pennies over 300 dollars. I never even seen that kind of money. What am I going to do?"

Vin turned and looked at Ezra who was still lounging back, silver flask poised near his lips. He smiled; his grin widening as he saw Ezra look slightly perturbed by that stare.

"Miss Nettie, you probably don't know this, but Ezra here is a gambler."

"He sure ain't a ranch hand."

"Thank you."

When Vin explained that Ezra was the answer to their current predicament he knew he would have a fight on his hands. First, Nettie was a proud woman who would be reluctant to accept charity, even if it meant losing her ranch. She figured that she would at least still have her dignity. Secondly, there was more chance of getting blood from a stone than money from Ezra, even an Ezra who had been sipping steadily from that flask since they got here more than an hour ago.

"Give her the 300." Vin ignored the expected outcry from Nettie, saying it wouldn't be charity, and sent his best glare towards Ezra. "Now give her the money, Ezra."

"When the sanctified dead rise from their graves to receive judgment, I'll start doling out cash."

Although Vin could understand Ezra's reluctance to part with his money, uncertain that he would ever see any of it again, there was no time to waste in argument; Royal and his men could arrive at any time. It seemed better to play to Ezra's baser instincts and hope that he could make good on his promise to ensure Ezra got his money back as soon as possible. He had an idea, based on Royal's own words, but Vin knew he would need Chris's support to make it work so they had to get to town and then back out towards the Royal - fast.

"I'll pay you back in an hour."

The glint in Ezra's eye told him that the gambler had figured out an angle to make money out this situation and so Vin was not surprised by the outrageous interest that he set.

"Deal?"

"Just get it out of your boot and give it to her."

Ezra handed over the money to Vin, who handed it on to Nettie. A secret smile formed as Ezra, unknowingly, related Vin's plan for getting the money back, though Vin was thinking more of casting Chris Larabee in the role of Robin Hood than himself.

****

"You did what?"

"Borrowed 300 dollars from Ezra to give to Miss Nettie to buy back the deed to her land."

"300 dollars? From Ezra?"

"Actually, he's expecting 330 dollars. 10 percent interest over an hour."

"Where in hell are you gonna raise 330 dollars to repay him in an hour?"

Chris had that stunned, exasperated look that always sent shivers of pleasure racing along Vin's spine. He loved seeing his lover all riled up, watching the pent-up fury barely held in check. What he loved more was teasing his lover until he lost that control, especially when they were bedded down together. He adored their sweet loving, but he loved the sparks that flew between them on those other occasions.

"Ain't gonna raise it. You are."

Chris looked taken aback for a moment, and Vin figured he was about to mention that he barely had more than 50 dollars to his name right now but, instead, Chris listened carefully as Vin outlined his plan. Vin intended that Mr. Royal should be the one to impart gifts on his less well-to-do neighbors for a change and Chris gave Vin an evil grin, eyes gleaming with unhealthy pleasure as he contemplated this act of highway robbery. With any other man it would be robbery but Guy Royal would have no cause to bring the law down upon them; not after the dubious methods he had used to collect his own gifts in the past.

****

All seven men were waiting out on the track that Royal would use as he made his way back to his ranch but only one man was visible. Chris waited in the center of the track, ears already attuned to the approaching sound of horses. He patted his gelding in reassurance, and then grinned when Royal and his men came around the bend in the track, unflinching as they pulled up in front of him. He called out to Guy Royal in an amiable fashion, barely able to conceal the pleasure bubbling up inside him.

"Good day, Sir."

"What do you want?"

Chris licked his lips with glee at the thunder in Royal's face, knowing the man was probably still seething from being outwitted by Nettie Wells earlier. Now, Chris had the pleasure of adding to that thunder.

"Your money, of course."

"One man going to rob us?"

"Oh, this isn't a robbery."

Chris leaned forward in his saddle, loving the way displeasure turned to fear as the other six made their presence known. Royal's men started squirming in their saddles, eyes darting from side to side as guns were aimed at them. Chris spared a quick glance at Vin as he and Ezra stepped out onto the track, his smile widening as shock and fury replaced fear on Royal's face when Vin explained about the donation Royal was about to make to Nettie's ranch repair fund. Chris was unable to keep a straight face as Royal, begrudgingly, handed over the 300 dollars.

"That's mighty generous, Mr. Royal. Thank you."

Seeing the tables turned on the rancher widened his grin even further. These were the times he loved in this job, seeing cowards like Royal brought to their knees, hoist by their own petard. He laughed at the idle threat Royal made and watched as Royal and his men rode away, backs stiff with displeasure.

"Thank you. And, uh... the interest? Mr. Tanner?"

Chris glanced back and saw the look Vin gave to Ezra in response. He grinned, accepting Buck's slap on his shoulder and hearing JD's whooping, and he waited for Vin and Ezra to mount up and join them. Josiah's deep laugh filled the air at Ezra's confused expression, followed by a slap on the back that almost knocked Ezra from his horse.

"Blinded by greed, Ezra. Next time you're making a deal, make sure the other man agrees to it before you hand over the money."

Ezra looked even more confused for a moment and then it must have dawned that, with his mind already counting the extra money he'd be earning off this little ruse, he'd not noticed that Vin had never sealed the deal, not even implicitly. Ezra had heard only what he wanted to hear. Chris laughed out loud, sharing a quick but meaningful look with Vin, no longer needing to have words with Ezra over that incident with the drunk on the previous day. He could see his retribution in the gutted look on Ezra's face when he realized that Vin had never had any intention of giving him even a single cent above the 300 dollars he had borrowed.

They headed back to town accompanied by laughter as Buck gave his own description of Royal's face when Chris asked him for all his money. JD embellished it further, threatening to write it all down and send it to Jock Steele for another one of his dime store novels. Eventually, JD, Buck and Ezra fell back in line, discussing the story. Josiah and Nathan seemed deep in a different conversation leaving Vin and Chris riding alongside each other.

"That was fun."

"You did good, Cowboy."

"But I don't reckon it's over with yet. Royal wants that land... bad. Won't be long till he figures out another way of getting it."

"Then we just have to stay ready. Wait and see what he does next." Vin eyed Chris curiously. "Been meaning to ask. What's so all fired important about those papers the Judge sent you to collect?"

"He had some men checking out Cletus Fowler, seeing if he could find any links back to the man that hired him to kill my family."

"Found anything?"

"Not really, but there was one thing that jarred; mention of a woman."

Chris gave a half-grin at Vin's leering expression. "No, not that kind of relationship, else I'd go looking for her to see if she knew anything. Someone more... genteel he was seen with on the one occasion... three or more years back."

"You figuring he was hired by some woman?"

Chris sighed and wiped his hand across his face.

"Doubt it. Just made me realize how little I know, that I don't even know for sure if the one who hired him was a man or woman. Seems only Cletus Fowler could have told me that."

"And the one who hired him."

"Yeah."

"Come on, Cowboy. I'll buy you a drink."

****

**A few days later:**

It was sight Vin hated, seeing a man swinging in the light breeze; a man whose only crime was owning a parcel of land that might eventually be leased for a large sum of money to the railroad. His hand went to his own throat, feeling the tightness of a phantom rope around his own neck.

"Let's cut him down."

Vin grabbed the hanged man's legs, steadying the body while Nathan moved to where the rope was tied, but he whipped his head around at the sound of horses, hearing a bullet thud into the tree close to Nathan. A stout man in clothes that were a mismatch of grimy items, rode up ahead of a group of sadistic looking desperadoes. He was dirty and unkempt, face covered in more than a day's growth of whiskers, a black eye patch hiding one eye, and he had a battered old top hat perched on top of his bald head. The leader pulled to a halt only a few feet in front of Vin and Ezra where they stood beside the hanging man. Nathan came up beside Vin, consternation on his face, hands well away from his gun and knives as they faced overwhelming numbers. Vin kept his hand away from his mare's leg, not wanting to start something that this man and his gang would most likely finish, and hoped Ezra had the good sense to do the same.

"I got a message for Chris Larabee."

"Might want to know who from."

Vin was convinced that Chris would never have associated willingly with a man like this, and Vin had no recollection of ever having come across this man before, even though he had seen many a town and many a wanted poster during his bounty hunting days. Everything about the ugly stranger said 'outlaw'. The fact that he did not seem at all disturbed by the sight of a burning ranch and the hanging man, convinced Vin that he had to be some hired help brought in by Royal to terrorize the few remaining ranchers into giving up their land. However, what turned Vin's stomach was the sight of a marshal's badge pinned upon the grimy vest, making him wonder if this man was a real marshal, or was wearing it as a trophy for a lawman he had killed.

"Marshal Bob Spikes but they call me Tophat Bob. Maybe you heard of me."

"You supposed to be famous?"

Nathan's query brought Tophat Bob's head whipping around in fury that anyone could question his renown. The man leaned right down, almost into their faces as he shouted his response.

"Hell, yes, I'm famous!"

Vin felt the warm breath on his face, gaining a close up of teeth rotting away in the man's mouth. He turned his head away in disgust, fanning the air around him as Tophat Bob's breath proved to be even fouler than the ugly man's body odor.

"Whew! Damn, Bob. You just eat a dead animal?"

Some inner sixth sense told Vin that he could get away with his words unchallenged, his dealings with types like this in the past proving that they were basically stupid. However, from the look of Cody Porter and his property, the man had a vicious streak which more than made up for any lack of brains.

"You tell Larabee, from now on any dealings with Mr. Royal come through me."

Vin nodded, gaining the confirmation he needed that this man was probably the one to burn Cody Porter's ranch to the ground and hang the rancher when he tried to stop them. It also gave him proof that Guy Royal had been behind it, maybe even giving the order to drive off Porter at all costs, even if that meant killing the man. Vin's only fear was that Nettie would be next, and he had a nasty vision of what these rough men would do to her and young Casey should they find them unprotected, but now was not the time to act. Vin recalled his words to Lydia in the saloon some months back: _I look like a messenger boy?_ Well, in this case he would be a messenger boy if it meant keeping Nettie and Casey safe.

"I'll tell him."

Ezra made the mistake of standing in Tophat Bob's way when the ugly man wanted his coat, and paid for it with a boot in the face. Vin had never felt so impotent as he stood there watching the marshal's men strip off Ezra's fine green jacket and hand it up to their sadistic leader. He could feel the tension radiating from Nathan too, though a glimpse revealed a face that showed no emotion, which made Vin realize that Nathan must have been in this same position many times before when he was a slave. He did not flinch, letting his gaze remain almost emotionless but not overtly hostile, as Tophat Bob's horse came perilously close to trampling on Ezra, knowing he could not afford to show any weakness by displaying any fear for his friend. Nathan had adopted the same attitude beside him though Vin noticed the way Nathan took an almost unnoticeable half step forward that caused the horse to back off just a little.

"One more thing. You tell Larabee to think about the last time him and me met 'cause the next time we do I'm going to rip his eye out."

Again, Vin dampened his internal reaction to those words, hearing the venom that told him this was more than bluster. This man had a real grievance with Chris that went beyond Guy Royal, and Tophat Bob seemed like the kind of low dog that would make sure the odds were stacked completely in his favor before airing that grievance directly to Chris. There would be no fair fight.

Vin waited until the man had started to ride away, distastefully eyeing the red crepe tied round his Top Hat, flying out from behind the man like a ribbon of blood as he galloped into the distance. He turned back when he heard Nathan's concerned voice.

"You all right?"

Ezra nodded, hand held to his face, but Vin could tell he was still feeling the effects of the blow to the head. Nathan took a look, drawing hisses of pain from Ezra before pronouncing that it was just bruising. Ezra had gotten off lucky. A blow like that could have broken his cheek or taken out his eye.

"Let's get Porter cut down and then get back to town."

They managed to snare one of Porter's horses that must have escaped the round up by Tophat Bob's men and, with Nathan's help, they threw Porter's body over its back. Once the body was secure, they mounted up and rode to town as fast as they could.

****

Chris looked up as Vin pushed aside the batwing doors and strode inside. He reckoned he might be one of the few people in this world to recognize how agitated Vin was beneath that calm facade. Vin's eyes softened when they caught sight of Chris and, with a slight nod, Chris beckoned him to come join him. Without a word, Chris scooped up the cards he had been playing with, Solitaire no longer of any interest, and he dealt a hand to Vin. A beer was set down beside Vin and they played in silence. He knew Vin would tell him what was on his mind soon enough, he just had to wait until Vin was ready.

"Cody Porter's dead. Hanged."

Vin took a sip of his beer while Chris waited to hear the rest. He had heard that Vin, Ezra and Nathan had gone riding off after Porter's hired man came hurtling into town crying out for help an hour back. He hadn't been around at the time so all he could do was sit tight and wait to hear what happened.

"Figure we met the man who did it. Said he's Royal's front man. Said if you got anything to say to Royal then you say to him first." Vin rearranged the cards in his hand.

"You get a name?"

"Goes by the name of Tophat Bob Spikes. Said you met before though he sure wasn't friendly about it." Vin took another card from the deck and Chris figured from the slight momentary raise of an eyebrow that it was a good card, maybe a Jack or a Queen. "He even said he'd cut your eye out."

"Tophat Bob Spikes?" Chris watched as Vin took another sip of beer, seeing the anger still seething just below the calm surface. He knew it was probably seeing Cody Porter strung up that got to Vin most, reminding him of the fate that might lay in store for him should the Texan law catch up with him. "I've never heard of him."

Vin grimaced, nose screwing up slightly.

"He ain't one that it'd be easy to forget. He could kill a man with his breath alone."

"Chris Larabee! Chris Larabee! I'm calling you out!"

Their eyes met, and Chris could see renewed anger in the bright blue depths. He had a strong suspicion that he was about to meet this Tophat Bob Spikes for himself. With a soft snort of annoyance he placed his cards down on the table.

"Fold."

Vin's expression grew cold as he rose from his seat and preceded Chris outside, and Chris was unsurprised but strangely pleased to find both Buck and Nathan had stepped up too. It had been a long time since he had people to rely on to watch his back when he got called out for a fight. Chris stepped between Vin and Nathan and stopped a short distance away from one of the ugliest sights he had ever seen.

"Who the hell are you?"

Until this moment he had assumed this might be a man he had met but whose name he had never learned. However, not a single flicker of recognition crossed his mind as he took in the vile looking creature standing before him.

"You're a low down Yankee liar if you say we've never met."

Chris considered that this might all be bluster; that the man was trying to make out that he was bigger fish than he merited. However, there was a chunk of his life missing, a time when he had been too caught up in grief to remember all the details of people and faces but he felt sure he ought to remember someone as large and ugly as this man. On the other hand, perhaps this man had been around in his wild days before he had met Sarah? Part of him hoped that Buck might recall the man but Buck's words ended that hope.

"Seems to me a man'd remember an ugly, one-eyed coward, six-and-a-half-foot tall with no hair and a sissy hat."

"Damn you, Chris Larabee. You been scared of running into me since we met."

"Couple of ladies I'm scared of running into but you're not one of them."

The very thought that he might have been running scared from this man, even had he recalled him, sent disbelief flooding through him. He was already convinced that Buck was right in his assessment, that this Tophat Bob was no more than a coward hiding behind his men. Chris found he was remembering his words to the Judge, about choosing his fights carefully, but there was no doubt in his mind that he could take this man. He had a feeling that it was all bluster, that the man would probably have a hard time finding his gun let alone drawing it fast enough to beat him. In addition, he had a feeling this was one bully that, more than likely, already had some bullshit excuse in mind should Chris call his bluff.

Chris held out his hands. "Well, here I am."

The man glared but Chris saw a slight tic as the man realized his bluff had been called. Just as Chris expected, this Tophat Bob folded with a snarl of more bluster.

"I will not kill you without the satisfaction of you knowing why I'm doing it. Got other business."

"Well, why don't you give him a hint?"

Chris could hear the contempt in Buck's voice, knowing his friend was just as astute and had already figured out Tophat Bob's plan. When Tophat Bob turned and spat out a reply, Chris was taken aback at the anger and truth plainly written in the man's single eye. Any shred of doubt that they had met before evaporated and he watched as the man rode off before turning to the others, arms open wide in utter confusion.

"Rail splitting?"

Chris sobered quickly as Vin pointed out that Tophat Bob could only have one item of business to attend to, and that was the job he had been hired to do by Guy Royal. They raced for their horses and galloped out of town, hoping they'd reach Nettie's before Tophat Bob, if that were his intention.

It wasn't until after they had got back to town, having convinced Nettie and Casey to stay in the hotel a few days longer, that the old memory floated to the surface.

"Bob Spikes!" Chris turned to Buck. "It was a rail splitting contest. Back in Indiana. I couldn't have been more than about 17 years old. It was a friendly contest. I won... He thought I cheated, threw a punch turned into a brawl. Bob Spikes. That's right."

The memory was so clear now, though Bob Spikes had not been so stout in those days. He recalled a gangly, pimple-covered youth, maybe a year older, who had hated being bested, especially by James Larabee's son. Their fathers had been feuding for as long as Chris could remember, each accusing the other of one misdemeanor or another. It had started when his mother had chosen his father over Samuel Spikes.

"Well, I could see how beating him might cause a fight but that don't seem reason enough to want to kill a man."

"No, but that's how he lost his eye, in that brawl."

Chris hadn't heard about Spike's loss until days later and, soon after, he had cause to leave Indiana far behind. It was that brawl that had set him on his life's path; his father disowning him when he came back home covered in cuts and bruises. More than twenty years had passed since that friendly contest turned into a battlefield - both there and later at home with his father. He hadn't gone back home since his mother died and had no idea if his father and brother were even still alive. Sarah had tried to make him contact them, to let them know he had settled down and had a family but, to be honest, Chris had shunned from making that first move. After all, it was his father who had thrown him out so, to his way of thinking, it was up to his father to ask him back.

He pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the Bob Spikes he had known all those years ago. Even as a youth, Spikes had been ugly both in looks and nature; the kind of boy that liked to gang up on the weaker kids, so it was not hard to imagine an adult version of this same bully. His only surprise was that Bob Spikes had changed so much in outer appearance as to make him virtually unrecognizable. However, his remembrance told him that Spikes was someone with whom they needed to deal with quickly, before he turned that ugly nature of his towards Nettie Wells and her niece. He glanced up as Vin approached wishing there were time to share these silent memories from the distant past.

"Boys. I think we should ride out to Royal's tonight, take out Spikes before he puts the torch to Nettie's."

"Yeah. I was thinking the same thing. We leave now we'd get there by nightfall."

"Right. Let's get the others."

****

Vin lay quietly on his side, fingers teasing his lover's chest, playing with a peaked nipple. He gazed up at the starlit sky, watching as sparks from the dry wood added their own unique light, like fire flies buzzing above them. Behind them lay the foundations and the beginnings of the shack Chris was required to build on this land. They had spent most of the afternoon preparing the timber and he knew Chris hoped to get the main walls erected before sundown tomorrow. For tonight though, the only need had been a far different sort of erection. He grinned at his own baseness, feeling deliciously evil to be having such thoughts about Chris Larabee but he had to admit that the man did things to him - heart and soul - that he just couldn't explain. Their earlier lovemaking had been gentle as Vin tried to avoid the dark bruises marring the ivory flesh, gained from Chris's fight with Tophat Bob.

He was annoyed that Chris hadn't just shot the man outright, but then, after what the man had done to Cody Porter, perhaps it was right that Bob Spikes hanged. Vin hoped that Guy Royal would hang right beside Spikes but it all depended on whether Spikes would lose that bluster and false bravado before they put the noose around his neck. Until then, all they truly had on Royal was hearsay and Nettie's testimony. However, according to Ezra, Mrs. Travis seemed very sure that Royal would hang and had already set to work making an inventory of all the items in Royal's ranch house so she could contact the families who had owned them once. Vin had a feeling that she would try to persuade those families to return once it had been proved that Royal had driven them from their land. He had a small recollection of the Olsons; good, honest folks with small children, and wished the Seven had learned of Royal's underhanded methods before they had been forced to leave.

He thought back to earlier that day when he had escorted Nettie back to her ranch, wondering how she had guessed that the woman she reminded him of was his mother. His mother had once told him to be proud of his name, told him that he was a Tanner, as if that was something very special. The hardest part about being wrongly accused of murder was that he had managed to tarnish that name, and with it, the memory of his mother.

Vin was not certain if it would have been better or worse had he been able to recall any details of his father. Had he been a big man? Did they have the same hair coloring, or eyes? He wished he knew of someone who had known him; someone who could tell him about this stranger whose name he carried.

"You know. I have no idea if my father is alive or dead. Always assumed he died, but what if he just plain rode off one day with no intention of coming back? What if he's out there somewhere, sitting in some saloon, drinking whiskey... whoring... never thinking of the family he left behind?"

"You told me she wanted you to be proud of being a Tanner. You reckon she would have said those words if it weren't the truth?"

"Folks deceive themselves. She was a proud woman, like Nettie. Maybe she couldn't admit he'd gone and left her." Vin glanced across. "You ever figure on finding your brother?"

"Unlike Tophat Bob, I reckon I'm famous enough he knows where to find me."

"Maybe... maybe not. Indiana's a long way from here."

"Hmmm."

They sank back into an uneasy silence and Vin regretted raising the subject of Chris's family. It was easy to forget bitter memories from day to day, and especially in the heat of passion but afterwards, when the mind was free of all other thoughts, those silent memories could easily overwhelm a person, demanding to be heard.

His hand stroked along the lean flank, feeling the silkiness of warm flesh beneath his fingertips. He stared at the strong profile, seeing the faraway look in those green eyes he loved so well.

"Where are you, Cowboy?"

His voice broke Chris's distraction and Chris frowned, turning his head and making a small sound of query that brought a smile to Vin's lips.

"You looked a hundred miles away."

"Was thinking about Bob Spikes, wondering whether our Pa's were still feuding." He laughed; a silvery sound that lightened the air and Vin knew that it was a happier memory that had assailed his lover. "I remember one time something was getting to the chickens. My Pa was convinced it was Sam Spikes sneaking onto our land and stealing them hens so he hid out all night, waiting for the commotion when Sam Spikes tried to take a hen. Had me hiding in a little hole nearby. Anyways, it was a full moon that night and suddenly, them hens began to squawk and my Pa jumped up shouting _Sam Spikes, you're gonna pay for stealing my property_. Let off a round from his old Spencer carbine. Turned out it was just some mangy dog looking for an easy meal." He laughed again. "If he hadn't been a God-fearing man, I'm sure he would have spread rumors that Sam Spikes turned into that mangy dog on every full moon."

Vin laughed, imagining the sight but his laughter faded as he caught the special smile Chris was aiming at him, the one that always seemed to make his legs go weak. The flick of pale lashes, fluttering seductively as those eyes teased mercilessly, was enough to send his pulse racing. Vin reached out and traced that smile, feeling it widen beneath his trembling fingers. He leaned over Chris, mouth replacing fingers, tongue sneaking out to lay a stripe over lips already swollen from their earlier lovemaking. He pulled back, sitting up so he could gaze down at the beauty stretched out before him. The dancing flames leaped and flickered, painting strange, ever-changing patterns of orange and gold upon his lover's pale flesh. Vin's eyes followed the constantly moving shadows of dark and light as they highlighted first a nipple and then glinted off the sparse hair lying in the shallow valley parting the lean but muscular chest.

He'd forgotten how quickly Chris could move when the mood took him; momentary surprise mellowing to amusement as Vin found himself on his back with that hard body covering him, his hands pinned beside his head. A wicked smile lit up the handsome face poised above him, the devilment accentuated by the flickering light from the fire that cast demonic shadows in the planes and angles of that face.

Vin sighed in appreciation as a talented mouth descended to taste his skin. He writhed beneath the onslaught as a nipple was licked and suckled, feeding the desire that grew between them, evident by the hardness rubbing against his own aching flesh.

Chris rocked slowly, back and forth, eyelids heavy, pupils so large that only a sliver of green remained. Vin groaned, hips bucking up against the washboard abdomen pressed firmly against him, trapping their hard erections between them. A small gasp fell amongst pants of exertion and lust and Vin felt the liquid heat of passion flooding between them, its slickness bringing his own climax crashing down upon him.

His hands were released, the strong body collapsing over him and Vin wrapped his arms around his lover's frame, holding Chris tight. Eventually, Chris rolled to the side, stretching out to reach a cloth they had left lying close by. He wiped the residue of spent passion from both their bodies and then he drew up the blanket to cover them before snuggling back down into Vin's arms.

"You know. I've had my share of bad times. Got myself a whole bunch of memories I'd sooner forget but, each day since I met you I've made new memories... mostly good ones." Vin felt Chris's grin against his throat and he held his lover tighter. "Hell, there are some far better than good."

As Chris's breathing deepened into sleep, Vin found he was still wide awake, thinking about all the bad times he had experienced before finding this man. He knew those old, painful memories would not remain silent forever. He knew there would be times when they would scream out at him from the darkness, engulfing him in their horror but he hoped the new memories he had made since then would hold him steady.

Vin tightened his arms around Chris, heart and soul focusing on the new memory of love and passion he had created with Chris tonight. He knew it might not always be like this, that they might be driven apart at any time by prejudice or death but, while it lasted, he intended to make every moment like this count.

An absurd thought filled him as he realized he had something in common with Guy Royal. They both were Collectors, but where Royal amassed material goods to fill the void of his life, Vin was collecting silent memories to stave off the loneliness of his own previous existence.

With the heaviness of sated fatigue, Vin smiled, letting his eyes close, knowing he was safe and secure in his lover's embrace. His last thought before sleep overtook him was of the new memories he would make with Chris when they awoke.

THE END


End file.
